Because congress passed a law allowing US Citizens to sue other countries doesn't make that binding on the country they are filing against. We have no jurisdiction over another country to make them obey our laws or to make them pay US Court awarded settlements to our citizens. As for the motivation being greed...only those filing the suits really know the truth in that. Sure they are within our laws to file the complaint...but Iraq or any other country is not obliged to pay it if they choose not to...and the Justice Department is within its right to appeal the decision.

Because congress passed a law allowing US Citizens to sue other countries doesn't make that binding on the country they are filing against. We have no jurisdiction over another country to make them obey our laws or to make them pay US Court awarded settlements to our citizens. As for the motivation being greed...only those filing the suits really know the truth in that. Sure they are within our laws to file the complaint...but Iraq or any other country is not obliged to pay it if they choose not to...and the Justice Department is within its right to appeal the decision.

The American government seized or at least froze access to Iraqi assets to the tune of $1.7billion. By what right did they do that? Then much later they invaded Iraq. By what right did they do that? Because they wanted to.

Of course, a judge can make a decision, but the judge can't force compliance by another country's government. In this case, though, the money should be in the hands of the American government, and according to American laws, they should probably be paying that money to the people suing. That's regardless of whether the POWs deserve it, which might be grounds to appeal. Arguing that Iraq needs it more is a lousy reason to withhold the money however. Hopefully the government lawyers are doing better than that in their legal briefs.

Because congress passed a law allowing US Citizens to sue other countries doesn't make that binding on the country they are filing against. We have no jurisdiction over another country to make them obey our laws or to make them pay US Court awarded settlements to our citizens. As for the motivation being greed...only those filing the suits really know the truth in that. Sure they are within our laws to file the complaint...but Iraq or any other country is not obliged to pay it if they choose not to...and the Justice Department is within its right to appeal the decision.

I don't get it, you (and others) don't think we have the right to make Iraq pay damages for men who were tortured but somehow our right to change their political system entirely is unquestioned. Amazing political relativism you folks have.